| | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci, Graph Massara and Mackenzie Hawkins | Presented by American Land Title Association | THE BUZZ — This is not what the doctor ordered. L'Affaire French Laundry just keeps growing — and the latest revelation is that California Medical Association brass were present, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom, at the ill-considered fête for lobbyist and longtime Newsom advisor Jason Kinney. POLITICO's Jeremy B. White and Victoria Colliver have the story, with credit to Fox 11 in Los Angeles for surfacing the photos that forced the CMA to confirm the rumored attendance of its executives. There are rules, and then there are appearances; sometimes in politics, what resonates is how things look. The CMA echoed Newsom in saying the meal followed public health guidelines — the French Laundry was open for business, and photos appear to show open doors — even as the images cast doubt on that assertion. But most people reacting to this aren't parsing the exact contours of coronavirus regulations. They're lambasting what they see as hypocrisy. Detractors see a group representing doctors enjoying a fancy meal even as health professionals plead with Californians to avoid gatherings. Credibility is the watchword here. Newsom has squandered some of his — he admitted as much in apologizing, conceding he had failed to set the right example. The CMA's presence risks doing something similar to doctors. Public health professionals have already had to navigate public animosity toward mask mandates and have in some cases resigned in response to the rancor. With cases spiking, coronavirus fatigue risks further fraying the public's willingness to listen to public health pros. This can't help. | 
Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a face mask during a news conference in Rancho Cordova, Calif., June 26, 2020. | AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool | This entire episode has also illuminated how political power works. We already knew Kinney had intimate access to Newsom even as Kinney profited from clients hoping to get something from the governor. The CMA brass at the dinner may be longtime friends of Kinney's, like Newsom is — but they also represent one of Sacramento's most formidable interest groups, which spends heavily on campaigns and lobbying with massive repercussions. In politics, as in life, connections can be everything — whether you're in Napa with the governor or in Maui with lawmakers. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Republican Congressman-elect Darrell Issa got some presidential props yesterday for comparing outgoing President Donald Trump to Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan — an extension of Issa's Trump-hugging campaign. "So nice!" the president enthused. And speaking of California Republicans: Rep. Devin Nunes is suing the Washington Post. Again. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Participants are discussing how to safely reopen larger sectors of the economy and the discussion suddenly became more urgent with Newsom's announcement on Monday. Simply shutting down 95 percent of the state might've made sense back in April or May, but we understand so much more now than we did then." Assemblymember Heath Flora describes what lawmakers and interest groups are discussing in Maui. More below... TWEET OF THE DAY — @CarlyFiorina: "Inadequate men in big jobs are always dangerous. President Trump has cemented his legacy as an inadequate man who lacks the mental faculties and strength of character necessary for the job. How many others will prove, by saying and doing nothing, that they too are inadequate?" WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. PROGRAMMING NOTE: California Playbook will not publish on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 30. | | A message from American Land Title Association: While the work of land title professionals is behind-the-scenes, and they may sometimes go unseen, the joy from what they do can be seen on the smiling faces of millions of Americans when they finally get the title of "homeowner." Land title professionals have safeguarded the American dream for more than 125 years. Meet the people who help protect homebuyers and sellers when they make the most important financial decision of their lives. Learn more | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | SCHOOL DEBATE — "'State-sanctioned segregation': California's school closure debate boils over," by POLITICO's Mackenzie Mays and Katy Murphy: As the pandemic wears on, more Democrats are sounding the alarm after staying silent earlier this fall. They are increasingly distressed that California's approach has widened the gap between low-income communities of color and wealthier white families. MAUI MESSAGE — "California GOP lawmakers defend Maui trip as promoting 'intelligent public policy,'" by POLITICO's Katy Murphy: Four California GOP lawmakers acknowledged Wednesday they flew to a conference at a luxury Maui resort despite a troubling surge in Covid-19 cases, but they tried to flip the script by embracing their decision as consistent with their support for more business activities during the pandemic. Assembly Republicans Jordan Cunningham, Heath Flora, Frank Bigelow and state Sen. Andreas Borgeas emphasized the event's safety protocols and framed the gathering as crucial. VICE CHAIR YEE? — " Controller Yee sparks questions with run for California Democratic Party position," by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: California State Controller Betty Yee is running to be vice-chair of the California Democratic Party — an unusual decision for a statewide officer that is raising questions among party activists about Yee's ultimate goals. ...Yee's run has spurred rumors that she could have an eye on eventually becoming party chair, but Yee said in an interview with POLITICO that she has no interest in seeking the top job. … State Treasurer Fiona Ma is backing [Jenny] Bach, who is Asian American. But it means Ma is going against another prominent Asian American leader in Yee — one who like Ma has an eye on the governor's office some day. | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ANOTHER LOCKDOWN? — "LA County could institute new COVID-19 stay-at-home order," by the LA Times' Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde. AT-HOME TESTS — " Orange County to provide thousands of free in-home kits to test spit for coronavirus," by the OC Register's Ian Wheeler: "Starting next week, the county, in partnership with Aliso Viejo-based testing lab Ambry Genetics, will make 11,000 spit testing kits available for Orange County residents to do themselves at home, which officials say are just as accurate as the ubiquitous nasal swab tests." SAFETY CONCERNS — " At-home health tests are booming amid coronavirus. Experts warn about their safety," by the LA Times' Melody Peterson: "The decision has heightened worries from some health experts that consumers could be harmed, as few of the tests are backed by scientific studies and most don't require a doctor's prescription." EDUCATION VS. ECONOMY — " In California, science guides whether to reopen hair salons - but not always schools," by the SF Chronicle's Jill Tucker and Erin Allday: "While counties use science and data to guide reopening the economy — case counts or available hospital beds are factored in — pressure from the community and local unions often influences California districts' reopening decisions." — " Could surge mean some Bay Area schools won't return to classroom until next school year?," by the Mercury News' John Woolfolk: "But schools that were tentatively targeting a return to class later this year or early next year are signaling to parents that may be unrealistic. At least one large Bay Area district even suggested that if they are unable to bring older students back to classrooms in January, they may have to wait until next summer or fall." | | CALIFORNIA ON FIRE | | — "One killed and wildfires in California, Nevada grow after being whipped up by wild weather," by the Sac Bee's Michael McGough. | | | | DON'T MISS NEW EPISODES OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded in 2020 amid a global pandemic. Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — "California could lose a seat in Congress, but Bay Area looks to be safe," by the SF Chronicle's John Wildermuth: "Someone has to lose in this once-a-decade political reshuffling, and it looks like it will be an as-yet-unknown Los Angeles-area member who will lose out when California surrenders at least one of its House seats to another state." | | THE TRUMP ERA | | — "Pelosi suggests she'll serve her last term as speaker," by POLITICO's Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle: "For months, [Nancy] Pelosi has dodged reporters' questions about whether she will stand by an agreement she made two years ago with Democratic rebels to only serve four more years in power. Pelosi finally answered the question — albeit in an opaque manner — during a press conference after her caucus' leadership elections Wednesday, suggesting that she would abide by those limits." | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — PG&E names new CEO, its fifth leader in 2 years, by POLITICO's Colby Bermel: Pacific Gas & Electric named Patti Poppe as its new CEO on Wednesday, an announcement that came four months after the departure of the previous leader, who steered the company through bankruptcy. — "Child Care Providers Say California's Subsidized System Is Collapsing Under Pandemic Pressure," by KQED's Katie Orr: The union Child Care Providers United "says nearly 6,000 child care centers have closed since the pandemic started, leaving more than 60,000 kids without access to care — and many child care workers without a job." — " Community college enrollment falls as students grapple with job loss, online learning," by Emma Hall and Tess Kazenoff for CalMatters: "Enrollment at California community colleges is down more than 9 percent from the year before, mirroring a national trend, according to a recent survey from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), which tracks enrollment trends across the country." — " California Bishop Cantu under Vatican 'Vos estis' investigation," by Catholic News Agency's JD Flynn and Ed Condon: "Senior sources in the Vatican told CNA that the investigation was ordered by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, in October and that the allegations concern Cantu's handling of abuse and misconduct cases in his former diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Cantu is now Bishop of San Jose, California." — "Two Bay Area cities at 'high risk' for financial problems, state says," by the SF Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "Richmond and El Cerrito are among nine California cities at high risk for serious financial distress in the next several years, largely due to their lack of rainy-day funds and heavy debt loads." | | | |   | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — "Apple pays $113M to settle iPhone throttling complaint," by POLITICO's Steven Overly: The attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia argued that Apple acted deceptively when, in 2016, it began throttling the performance of certain iPhone models after discovering issues with the batteries. This caused the phones to operate more slowly and shut off unexpectedly, sometimes prompting users to purchase newer devices. | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | WHAT A HEADLINE — "Not so cool, Keanu: Reeves caught in COVID-19 party scandal — like the Kardashians and Gavin Newsom," by Bay Area News Group's Martha Ross. — " Blackstone Flexes Its Muscles in Hollywood," by the WSJ's Peter Grant: "The virus that causes Covid-19 has prompted Hollywood to close theaters, postpone film releases, lay off workers and cut costs. But the high consumption of streaming content by hundreds of millions of people sheltering at home is translating into strong demand for studios where it is produced and the office space that supports it." | | CANNABIS COUNTRY | | — "As San Francisco sales tax receipts sag, cannabis is riding high," by the SF Chronicle's Phil Matier: "A recent controller's report projected the local cannabis excise tax generating $4.9 million for fiscal year 2020-21 — exceeding the budgeted amount by $700,000. … The higher cannabis tax projections are a sharp contrast to the city's overall local sales taxes receipts, which, based on the controller's data from April through June of this year, decreased by $23 million compared with the same period in 2019." — " Court dismisses cities' lawsuit challenging cannabis deliveries in California," by the LA Times' Patrick McGreevy: "In a win for California's struggling cannabis industry, a Fresno judge has dismissed a lawsuit by 24 cities seeking to invalidate state regulations allowing delivery of cannabis to homes in communities that have outlawed sales in shops." | | | | TRACK THE TRANSITION, SUBSCRIBE TO TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: As states certify their election results, President-elect Biden is building an administration. The staffing decisions made in the coming days, weeks, and months will send clear-cut signals about his administration's agenda and priorities. Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to what could be one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, it tracks the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Stay in the know, subscribe today. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — "UC Berkeley strips the names of professors with racist views off 3 buildings," by Berkeleyside's Eden Teller. — " Storms, skaters ... and an 'all ears' corn man: how locals see California – in pictures," via the Guardian. — "'You're a Black person in a white neighborhood,' woman tells Discovery Bay family in racist rant," by the SF Chronicle's Michael Williams. — "Some states cut pay, others offered raises. How California state worker pay reductions stack up," by the Sac Bee's Wes Venteicher. — "'They Watch Us Closely': Black Students Describe Patterns Of Racial Profiling By USC Police," by Sofia James via the Beacon Project. | | BIRTHDAYS | | State Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg … Larry King is 87 … Ted Turner is 82 … Hunter Sprole … Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is 44 | | A message from American Land Title Association: While the work of land title professionals is behind-the-scenes, and they may sometimes go unseen, the joy from what they do can be seen on the smiling faces of millions of Americans when they finally get the title of "homeowner." Land title professionals have safeguarded the American dream for more than 125 years. Meet the people who help protect homebuyers and sellers when they make the most important financial decision of their lives. Learn more | | | CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. 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